Wendy Norris's List: Water

Resources from Bill Lane Center for the West.

Resources from Bill Lane Center for the West.

Resources from Bill Lane Center for the West.

"The food each of us consumes per day represents an investment of 4,500 gallons of water, according to the California Farm Bureau. In this densely populated state where it rains only six months out of the year, where does all that water come from? This thoroughly engaging, concise book tells the story of California's most precious resource, tracing the journey of water in the state from the atmosphere to the snowpack to our faucets and foods. Along the way, we learn much about California itself as the book describes its rivers, lakes, wetlands, dams, and aqueducts and discusses the role of water in agriculture, the environment, and politics. Essential reading in a state facing the future with an already overextended water supply, this fascinating book shows that, for all Californians, every drop counts. A new preface on recent water issues brings the book up to the minute. "

"Jon Waterman combines sheer adventure and environmental calamity in this trailblazing cautionary account of his 2008 trip down the overtaxed, drying Colorado. Dammed and tunneled, forced into countless canals, trapped in reservoirs and harnessed for electricity, what once was untamed and free is now humbled, parched, and so yoked to human purposes that in most years it trickles away 100 miles from its oceanic destination."

"In this stunning work of history and investigative journalism, Reisner tells the story of conflicts over water policy in the West and the resulting damage to the land, wildlife and Indians. PW stated that this "timely and important book should be required reading for all citizens." "

Resources from Bill Lane Center for the West.

"A new application that enables iPhone users to help monitor water quality and alert authorities to problems, is now available in Apple’s App Store. The first state to partner with IBM (NYSE: IBM) to use this data to monitor the thousands of miles of creeks and streams in their jurisdiction is California’s State Water Control Board."

"The software, which was developed by the EPA and the Department of Energy, works in conjunction with sensors placed throughout a water supply to detect contaminants including pesticides, trace metals, and pathogens. "

"Anomalous water quality monitoring results in a drinking water system can indicate the onset of a contamination incident. For this reason, water utilities must be able to rapidly and accurately identify such results. Unfortunately, this is a difficult task because water quality varies significantly from location to location and over time. Software that can interpret water quality data in real time can greatly enhance detection. EPA has partnered with the Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories to develop the CANARY data analysis software to assist water utilities in detecting contamination."

"In the save-the-earth fervor of the 1970s, the U.S. Congress amended the Clean Water Act, which required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work with states to restore and protect the quality of the nation’s waters. Twenty-five years later, states and regulatory agencies are still trying to figure out exactly what "clean water" means."

Colorado has tallied more than 11,000 EPA violations for failing to monitor water quality since 2004.

"Programmable Earth"

"FLOW is a dynamic new Water For People baseline and monitoring tool that allows us to get a clear view of what's working, what's on the verge of disrepair, and what's broken. Not only will Water For People use the data to make better programming decisions, but governments, partners, donors and the public can also easily monitor projects and take action when necessary. Plus, the data is easy to gather, share and understand allowing us to build better solutions for a lasting impact.\n\nIt's a wide spectrum view into our work that will allow Water For People to be flexible and quickly responsive when problems arise."

"This drinking water quality report shows results of tests conducted by water utilities in Colorado, provided to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) by the State water agency. It is part of EWG's national database that includes 47,667 drinking water utilities and 20 million test results from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Water utilities nationwide detected more than 300 pollutants between 2004 and 2009. More than half of these chemicals are unregulated, legal in any amount. Despite this widespread contamination, the federal government invests few resources in protecting rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater from pollution in the first place. The information below summarizes drinking water quality for this state.

The state water agency did not respond to requests for water quality test data. Contact your water utility for the latest water quality report"

Liberation Technology class and the Nigerian water-finding mobile app.